Airport authority plans five projects for 2013

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Nearly $2 million in capital improvements will take place at Fort Wayne International Airport this year.  So far, $1.6 million are expected to be spent, while the cost of some projects are still unknown.

The projects, which were approved Monday night by the Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority Board of Directors, will take place at FWA and Smith Field Airport.

"When you look at each of these individually, each one of them will have a nice impact," Craig Williams, the airport director of operations and facilities said. "They provide conveniences to people who use our airport and to also attract people to use our airport. We want to be the first choice for airport travel and development in the region. These will help us achieve those goals."  

According to Williams, the cost in improvements matches what is typically spent each year.  FWA receives approximately $2.5 million through federal funding airport funds each year.

Some improvements are cosmetic but Williams said they will give the airport an updated feel.

The largest improvement, in terms of cost, is to install permanent air conditioning and heating units at the jet bridges.  The project will begin next month, and will cost about $1 million.

"It allows us to run air conditioning into the passenger aircraft, and it allows them to turn of their auxiliary power units," Williams said. " Which means they'll be getting cleaner efficient air, and they'll be able to turn off their engines, which will allow them to save money."

Williams said the majority of the project will be funded through a Voluntary Airport Low Emission (VALE) Program grant.  The program helps airports achieve air quality improvements.  FWA was the only airport in the state to win a grant from the VALE program.

The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Voluntary Airport Low Emission Program (VALE) is a national program designed to reduce all sources of airport ground emissions.  Congress created the program in 2004 to help airport sponsors meet their state-related air quality responsibilities under the Clean Air Act. It is funded through the Airport Improvement Program and Passenger Facility Charges.

The VALE program is available to commercial service airports located in poor air quality areas of the country as designated by the Environmental Protection Agency. Airports can obtain VALE funding for cleaner technology that the FAA validates as being cost effective. VALE projects also receive emission reduction credits from State governments, which the airports can use to meet future environmental obligations under the Clean Air Act.

Close to $200,000 will go towards expanding FWA's business and welcome centers.  Some of that money will be used to paint the columns in the first-floor lobby.

Close to $500,000 will be spent at Smith Field Airport.    Williams said Tuesday the airport authority has renewed its commitment to the airport on the city's north side.

The funds will go towards the airport's new terminal.  The building, which was the former home of Ivy Tech's aviation maintenance program, is larger than the current space and will allow maintenance to be done on aircraft.

"We're excited about that," Joel Pierce, the flight operations director at Sweet Aviation, said. 

Sweet Aviation is a tenant at the airport's current terminal, and will move into the new one when it's completed this summer. 

"It allows us to grow Sweet Aviation, both from a flight training environment, as well as the aircraft maintenance," Pierce said.

Ivy Tech moved out of the building in July of 2012.  It's aviation maintenance program is now on the north part of the Smith Field Airport campus.

Two other projects are also in the works, but the estimated cost is not in.  Williams said the airport authority's engineer is finishing laying out the projects, and the cost should be known in the next 30 to 60 days.

Those projects include building a new road west of FWA, which will decrease traffic off of Smith Road, and restructuring the rental car areas.

According to Williams, the airport authority has been working with the rental car businesses to find out what out-of-town travelers have problems with.  One issue that the airport authority thought it  could address was improving the rental car lay-out.

"It will move the parking lot right across the street from the terminal and provide a covered access for passengers arriving in Fort Wayne to access their rental cars," Williams said.

The project will also build a new exit road, which will be attached to Ferguson Road, instead of Ross Road, which is used right now.